How keeping smartphone in pocket for long duration leads to thigh nerve entrapment

A top neurologist has claimed that keeping a smartphone in the pocket for a long duration can lead to entrapment of the thigh nerve.

Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, recently shared a case about 'thigh nerve entrapment' on Twitter.

"Keeping a smartphone in the pocket for a long duration can lead to entrapment of the thigh nerve. A 32-year-old man consulted me with symptoms of pain, tingling, and burning in the right thigh region for six weeks. He was not obese and had no diabetes," he tweeted.

Keeping #smartphone in pocket for long duration can lead to entrapment of thigh #nerve1. A 32-year old man consulted me with symptoms of #pain, tingling and burning of right thigh region of six weeks duration. He was not obese and had no diabetes.#MedTwitter #neurotwitter

— Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM🇮🇳 (@hyderabaddoctor) October 31, 2022

Newsmeter reached out to the doctor to know about the condition.

The condition described in the Twitter thread is 'Meralgia paresthetica,' which is mainly caused due to obesity, advanced age, and diabetes mellitus.

"When I started questioning, he told me he puts his phone in his front pant pocket. The nerve entrapment happened because the phone was heavy and pressing against the thigh nerve for 7-8 hours. Normally, this condition occurs when you have belly fat or in women during pregnancy," he said.

Symptoms and risks

Asked about symptoms, Dr. Sudhir said: "There might be a burning sensation, pain, and discomfort in the thigh region. If the pain or discomfort is constant and affects daily activities, it is advisable to consult a doctor."

"It is not life-threatening, but at the same, it can limit one's capabilities. If it isn't treated, there is a chance of disability. Meralgia paresthetica affects the overall health of the person," he said.

Phone factor

Dr. Sham Jaiswal, a neurologist at Care hospitals, however, said there is no proper evidence backing the radiation theory. "Though there are speculations around this, there is no proper evidence," he said.

Asked about the case in question, Dr. Sham said it is very rare. "Phones usually are lightweight these days. So maybe one in many cases there is a possibility."

Precautions

Dr. Sudhir mentioned, the cause was a phone, and he could recover soon owing to his young age.

Generally, the condition is caused due to obesity and Diabetes Mellitus.

"The incidence rate of Meralgia paresthetica is expected to rise as these demographics increase in world population," said Dr. Sham.

With India accounting for 17 percent of the total number of diabetes patients in the world and the lifestyle changes, we asked Dr. Sham what precautions we could take.

"Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, regular exercise, and eating the right food can go a long way," he said.